Finalists Decided at the SriLankan Airlines Pro in the Maldives

An exciting day of surfing in the Maldives at the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) PRIME Six Star rated World Qualifying Series (WQS) Sri Lankan Airlines Pro sees just eight surfing remaining in the event which will finish tomorrow in great conditions at Pasta Point.

Pat Gudauskas (USA/Cal) continued his huge run in this event by defeating ASP veteran Cory Lopez in the opening heat of the day.

"I had to forget the excitement of yesterdays heat win and focus on the job ahead and that's to try and win this event" said Gudauskas who created history in his previous heat when he executed what is believed to be the first ever rodeo clown manoeuvre in competitive surfing.

"I'm excited to be through to the final eight surfers and I'm hungry for the win as I'm sure all the other seven surfers are!" added Gudauskas.

Romain Cloitre (France/Reunion Island) continues to be the quiet achiever here in the Maldives and today he was very impressive taking a tightly contested heat over Shaun Gossman (Australia).

The smooth styled 20 year old who bases himself equally between Reunion Island and Hossegor in France has already achieved his best ever performance here in a Prime rated ASP WQS event.

"Last year I was eliminated in my very first heat here so I'm just really pleased to keep progressing through my heats this year" said Cloitre.

"I feel well suited to this wave and I'm looking forward to tomorrow's final day."

While both ASP tour veterans in Cory Lopez and Travis Logie (South Africa) were eliminated today, exciting youngsters Jadson Andre (Brazil) and Owen Wright (Australia) advanced to the quarter finals.

Andre's heat win over Travis Logie was the tightest heat of the day. The 19 year old Brazilian trailed throughout the heat and looked rattled when he uncharacteristically fell on a huge aerial move mid heat.

"That was the strangest thing that has ever happened to me in a contest" said Andre.

I had completed the aerial, landed well and was looking to ride it out but my leash actually got caught on my ring on my finger and that has dragged me off my board, I felt it rip at my finger and it has actually ripped into my skin, unbelievable."

Despite that mistake, Andre showed his professionalism by taking a wave in the final minute, nailing an opening major air reverse and scoring the required 6.33 to take the win.

The final two heats of the day saw the conditions clean up and the swells pulse and the days highest heat and wave scores were registered by Leigh Sedley (Australia) and Austin Ware (USA).

Sedley's 14.5 heat score was the day's highest and he goes into tomorrow's final day with confidence.

"I'm feeling great here, loving the waves and my surfing and boards feel really good so I'm going into tomorrow focused on winning - I believe I can" said Sedley.

Sedley will face Austin Ware (USA) in the fourth quarter final tomorrow. Ware scored the days highest wave score of an 8.5 on his way to defeating Drew Courtney.

Tomorrow will be the final day and is expected to deliver the best waves of the event so far.
Follow this event live at http://www.srilankanairlinespro.com/

Quarter Final Heat Draw:

Heat 1: Pat Gudauskas (USA), Wiggolly Dantas (BRA)
Heat 2: Romaine Cloitre (FRA), Jadson Andre (BRA)
Heat 3: Owen Wright (AUS), Daniel Ross (AUS)
Heat 4: Leigh Sedley (AUS), Austin Ware (USA)

SriLankan Airlines Pro 2009 is made possible thanks to the following sponsors: SriLankan Airlines, John Keells Group, Chaaya Island - Dhonveli, Atoll Travel, Atoll Adventures, Ocean & Earth International, Dhiraagu, Maldives Tourism & Promotions Board, ASP Australasia.

ASP Australasia as the event managers will deliver a quality live Webcast along with Television News Feeds, complimentary Digital Images for newspapers and websites, Web highlight packages and a dedicated 30 minute international television program.

Source: surfline.com

SriLankan Airlines Pro Underway with 8 Round One Heats Completed

The 2009 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) six star PRIME rated SriLankan Airlines Pro began at the famous Pasta Point in the Maldives today and the world's finest surfers wasted no time acclimatising and ripping into the fun 1m (3ft) surf.

Hawaiian Casey Brown opened the event impressively scoring both the days highest heat win (15.66 out of a possible 20) along with the highest wave score of an 8.83 (out of a possible 10) on a ride which saw him complete a series of powered critical turns along with a perfectly executed air reverse.

"It's always good to win through that round one heat, we've all travelled a long way to get here and you'd feel really down to lose out and be eliminated straight away so it's a relief" said Brown.

"It's such a fun event here, great free surfing waves in all directions and you just want to do well and enjoy the whole week."

While today's waves were not perfect there was plenty of scope for strong scores with the mechanical peeling point offering multiple sections for surfers to perform on.

Other heat winners to impress were former event champion Daniel Redman (South Africa), Portugal's Ruben Gonzalez, Rudy Palboom (South Africa), Christophe Allary (Reunion) and Alejo Muniz (Brazil).

Australia's Jack Perry summarized the feelings of most surfers here today after his strong heat win by saying, " I always have a great time here, we're competing in a really important event at the midpoint of the year but the atmosphere is just great, it's like we're all on holidays but a good result here means a lot to your ASP season so you have to remain focused."

"The waves today were nothing like as good as it can get but still they were a lot of fun and you can really perform in these conditions - the outlook is solid and if it gets like last year then we're surfing in amazingly perfect waves so fingers crossed!"

Strong afternoon winds saw event organizers finish the day early with just 8 heats completed and organizers will reconvene first thing tomorrow morning.

SriLankan Airlines Pro 2009 is made possible thanks to the following sponsors: SriLankan Airlines, John Keells Group, Chaaya Island - Dhonveli, Atoll Travel, Atoll Adventures, Ocean & Earth International, Dhiraagu, Maldives Tourism & Promotions Board, ASP Australasia.

ASP Australasia as the event managers will deliver a quality live Webcast along with Television News Feeds, complimentary Digital Images for newspapers and websites, Web highlight packages and a dedicated 30 minute international television program.

Source: surfline.com

Online Pro Surfing Games linked to SriLankan Airlines Pro Maldives

With less than one week until the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) PRIME 6 star rated World Qualifying Series (WQS) 2009 SriLankan Airlines Pro begins in the magnificent Maldives Islands it's time online surf enthusiasts checked out and registered with the two online game linked to this event.

Go to the events official website at http://www.srilankanairlinespro.com and follow the links to www.fantasyprosurfing.com and www.youriding.com to access these two online games.

Both games have detailed easy to follow instructions on how to play.

Like many sporting games, fantasyprosurfer.com engages participants by choosing a team of surfers with points awarded according to performance while youriding.com tackles the SriLankan Airlines Pro from an interactive wave riding perspective.

Play either or both and you'll at least feel a little bit like you are in paradise; picture and dream of the perfect peeling points, unbelievable 30 degree Celsius water temperatures, tropical climate where the temperature varies by barely a degree either side of 30 degrees and all set on the luxury Chaaya Island - Dhonveli.

Almost as good as being there in person, maybe!

An awesome field of 128 quality surfers from no less than 20 nations are now heading for the Maldives and expectations will be high that this year's event can begin where last years left off in perfect 2m surf at the famous Pasta Point.

Surfers will "warm-up" at Pasta Point on Dhonveli Island and they'll also sample the nearby perfection on offer at breaks like Sultans, Honkies, Lohefushi, Cokes and Chickens.

It's no wonder this event is a favourite with surfers on the ASP World Qualifying Tour as this is their equivalent of the Dream Tour.

SriLankan Airlines Pro 2009 is made possible thanks to the following sponsors: SriLankan Airlines, John Keells Group, Chaaya Island - Dhonveli, Atoll Travel, Atoll Adventures, Ocean & Earth International, Dhiraagu , Maldives Tourism & Promotions Board, ASP Australasia .

ASP Australasia as the event managers will deliver a quality live Webcast along with Television News Feeds, complimentary Digital Images for newspapers and websites, Web highlight packages and a dedicated 30 minute international television program.

Source: surfline.com

WQSers to get goods at SriLankan Airlines Pro, Maldives

ASP Australasia Office Casuarina NSW; Immediate Release: Widely regarded as the most striking event on the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS), the SriLankan Airlines Pro in the Maldives has again drawn a brilliant field of 128 international surfers from 20 nations around the surfing world.

Current ASP World Tour surfer and 2007 SriLankan Airlines Pro Champion Heitor Alves (Brazil) heads the field as the events number one seed with a long list of magnificent surfers in the line up that includes Phil Macdonald (Australia), Sunny Garcia (Hawaii/ASP 2000 World Champion), Aritz Aranburu (Spain), Pat Gudauskas (USA), Masotoshi Ohno (Japan), Travis Logie (South Africa) and current number one rated ASP World Qualifying Series surfer Adam Melling (Australia).

This year’s event also welcomes esteemed international surf brand Ocean and Earth as a supporting sponsor. “We have seen the amazing perfection that the Maldives event has delivered to world surfing over the past five years through the webcast, images and vision and Ocean and Earth are excited to be involved” said Ocean and Earth International Chief Executive Officer, Paul Munten.

“I understand it’s the warmest waters of any ASP tour event in the world and with most surfing nations either just out of winter season or heading into winter it has to be the perfect place to be “ added Munten. Perfection off the reeling Pasta Point reef, set on the glorious Chaaya Island – Dhonveli is what this event has become famous for.

The event runs from the luxurious Sunset Beach Deck Bar and Restaurant, a location that delivers highest quality surfing at close range to the judges, spectators and media making for one of competitive surfing’s truly unique quality experiences.

Sunny Garcia, one of ASP’s most experienced and venerated competitive surfers ever, summed up his first experience in the Maldives last year saying; “This place is amazing with fantastic waves, crystal clear warm waters in a setting that is so perfect for a high level event – I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to get here and I’ll certainly be back.”

A quarter finalist last year, Sunny is back in the field for 2009 and in such quality waves will be a certain contender. As an ASP World Qualifying Series Prime Six Star rated location the SriLankan Airlines Pro offers maximum points and prize money and the event is vital to the chances of all competitors surfing not only to win this event but also to qualify for the elite 2010 ASP World Tour.

It’s the perfect midyear venue to the ASP World Qualifying Series season and whoever wins this year’s 2009 SriLankan Airlines Pro will be ideally set up for the years tour.

ASP Australasia as the event managers will ensure a quality live Webcast along with Television News Feeds, class complimentary Digital Images for newspapers and websites, Web highlight packages and a dedicated 30 minute international television program.

SriLankan Airlines Pro 2009 is made possible thanks to the following sponsors: SriLankan Airlines, John Keells Group, Chaaya Island – Dhonveli, Atoll Travel, Atoll Adventures, Ocean & Earth International, Dhiraagu, Maldives Tourism & Promotions Board, ASP Australasia

Source: globalsurfnews.com